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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25401409">bad omens</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/poise/pseuds/poise'>poise</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Demonic Possession, Gen, Horror, M/M, Religious Imagery &amp; Symbolism, Self-Indulgent, mark’s pov, not so much romance but its up for interpretation, very little tho</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:42:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,975</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25401409</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/poise/pseuds/poise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Donghyuck is odd—an enigma. He’s always been odd, it’s in his nature. But things are different this time. His friends start to notice something evil licking at his soul.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>NCT Spookfest 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>bad omens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i started this off very passionately then fell sick.</p><p>i got inspired by kim petra’s <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0IKoSnH40x2cTmRtsHS4aD?si=58f0BVxQR9Km-Q04vVt0Cg">massacre</a> please give it a listen!! it fits very well.</p><p>i even made a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YuEuTfhHjbZk5qEBV2Jc2?si=mV8QkVcAQNO8_YMRBZLysw">playlist</a> for this fic. anyways i’ll shut up now!! enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mark doesn’t realise the shift in Donghyuck’s eyes until he’s up close and personal, practically forced to look into those hazelnut orbs. Donghyuck never holds a gaze unless he needs to, unless he means it. This one in particular has no meaning. Hollow. Almost as if Mark was merely staring at someone who looked awfully similar to Donghyuck but not quite. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>These eyes - they weren’t his. Mark would know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark </span>
  <em>
    <span>should’ve </span>
  </em>
  <span>known. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Donghyuck was never much of a believer in the paranormal. Or a higher power. Or anything for that matter. But Chenle was. So was Renjun. And Jisung pretty much waddles behind him like a dog on a leash with anything so naturally, he’s a strong believer himself.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeno and Jaemin simply indulge them whenever needed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They would smile fondly watching Chenle reprimand Donghyuck for certain acts, deeming it “bad luck”. It only made Donghyuck more tempted to do it. It was in his nature to disrupt any sort of peace and over time they’ve grown used to it. That was just Donghyuck, most times it’s even expected of him. Whenever Renjun would spill out an excuse for any unexplainable phenomenons, they would simply shift their gaze to Donghyuck - expecting a witty remark in return. More often than not, he delivers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark isn’t able to tell when that had started to change. Perhaps it was Chenle’s stories getting to him. He isn’t much a believer of the paranormal himself but he’d like to think he was religious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d catch Donghyuck muttering a few words to himself in what he presumes is Latin, staring blankly at a wall and sometimes, just </span>
  <em>
    <span>sometimes </span>
  </em>
  <span>- if he pays close enough attention, it would almost look as if Donghyuck was fighting himself. His face muscles twitch as his lips smack together to spring incoherent words. Like two people having a conversation at the same time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark dismisses it, naturally. They were college students, he knows he’s had his own fair share of breakdowns. Not to mention Donghyuck had a particular liking in personalized pranks. He enjoyed making each one special and no doubt Mark would be the perfect target for this one. Blame it on his ‘hero complex’ or so Donghyuck likes to call it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was Renjun that caught onto it first. Of course, it was. Despite their regular bickers, anyone could tell they were inseparable. What Renjun does, Donghyuck follows and vice versa.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He comes into Mark’s room one night, a faint knock on the door to greet him. He enters with silent footsteps and avoids the creaky parts of the floorboard, the ones he memorized. He’s been here too many times. Mark raises an eyebrow when he shuts the door behind him. Renjun only does that when it’s serious, words the others should not need to listen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark rips the headphones off his own ears and lets them rest on his nape as he pats a spot beside him on the bed. Renjun moves cautiously and Mark can’t help but notice how much he’s fidgeting. Mark has known him for too long. Renjun is not one to hesitate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The silence lingers for a little bit before Renjun decides to speak up. It’s raining outside, loud and thundering when he does. Mark could see how it relaxes him just a little bit. It keeps him intrigued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you…” he trails off and glances at the door as if he’s making sure. “Have you noticed anything weird going on with Hyuck lately?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark knits his eyebrows together. He chuckles lightly, “Hyuck is the definition of weird. When is he not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stops when Renjun doesn’t laugh in return. Instead, the thin line between his lips grows thinner as he presses harder. Mark shifts uncomfortably in his seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is… everything okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Renjun seems to hesitate before he answers with a question of his own. “Do you remember when Hyuck went on that one trip with Chenle back to his hometown? Chenle kept saying that the area he used live in was… plagued with something. He wouldn’t say what but it pushed his family to move out to the other side of town. Donghyuck didn’t believe him and insisted to go with him when he went. And when they came back, he fell sick for a few days.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, Mark remembered it alright. He remembered it as clear as day because he was the one stuck taking care of him afterwards. Not that he minded that much. Donghyuck was already clingy as it is but a sick Donghyuck means you don’t get second to yourself without him tugging at some part of your shirt or whining about the cold. As tiring as it was, Mark was endeared, to say the least. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though it was a little odd how quickly he recovered. Mark recalls how Donghyuck dozed off on the couch, blankets wrapped around his whole body up to his face with only a small tuft of his brown hair peeking out from under. He looked comfortable enough and Mark left him that way, retreating back to his own room to finish off his essay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He checks up on Donghyuck an hour later as he stretches his back with a yawn. It makes the glasses perched upon the bridge of his nose turn crooked. Mark took silent steps towards the living room only to find an empty cocoon of blankets, Donghyuck nowhere to be found. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His room was empty too once he peers past the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark texts him - once, twice - Donghyuck never went anywhere without his phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes a little time but his phone chimes back as he was drafting the third text to send, stopping midway to read the half-hearted reply. “Went jogging! Sorry I didn’t say, you looked busy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Donghyuck says nothing else and comes back hours later in a t-shirt and sweatpants, practically glowing. His earlier pale complexion looked nothing like him, as if Mark had imagined it all because this Donghyuck before him was radiant - nothing like someone who was bedridden for almost a week. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, that was a little odd but Mark brushed it off regardless. Donghyuck was odd, it’s in his nature. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark looks back at Renjun, perplexed. “What’s your point?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thunder and lighting collide outside the window to choke out a loud rumble. It paints a small part of Mark’s room in a dashing pale blue as it shakes the walls hard enough to make the headboard creak by itself. Renjun glances at the door nervously and lowers his voice to a tone lower than a whisper. “I don’t think… I don’t think they were the only ones that came back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The phrase is so vague that Mark has to squint to understand what it means. Renjun has always been bold, spoken his mind when he wants to. He never beats around the bush like this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the corner of his eye, Mark sees shadows looming just outside the door. Walking past it and blocking the corridor lights from peeking under between each interval. Renjun doesn’t notice, too busy staring at his own hands. A gargled scoff escapes Mark’s throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha, very funny Jun. Did Hyuck put you up to this? I’m seriously getting tired of your little pranks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Renjun’s eyes widened at the mention of Donghyuck’s name, instantly scooting closer. “No!” he insists in a hushed tone, a little too desperately. “You know I wouldn’t joke about this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Renjun in fact, doesn’t joke about this. His strong belief in the paranormal means he would never intentionally go out of his way to disrespect them in any way. Still, Mark is sceptical. Donghyuck’s persuasion skills could rule out anyone’s belief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You expect me to believe that Hyuck is what? Possessed?” Mark could barely contain the laughter bubbling in his chest. Renjun’s frown grows deeper as he looks towards the door. The shadows passing by had stopped and only one stood - a figure right on the other side of the door. Renjun visibly gulps and shoots up from Mark’s bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. Just don’t tell anyone I said anything.” He mumbles and walks out of the room, leaving the door wide open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark catches a tuft of brown hair pass by as he slips his headphones back on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t see Renjun in the dorm often after that. Always busy or locked up in his room. But when he does, it’s usually early in the morning when he slips out of Jaemin’s room, blanket and pillow in hand. When Mark subtly asks Jaemin about it over lunch, he just shrugs his shoulders and says “Nightmares.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They don’t pretend that Renjun and Donghyuck are speaking either. It’s a little awkward since they all live together but God is it uncomfortable when they’re forced to talk. Their usual bubbly humour isn’t quite the same anymore and nobody else in the group really knows why.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dinners together are the most painful. Or at least that’s what it looked like for Renjun. Mark doesn’t want to go as far as to say that Donghyuck almost looked pleased for making Renjun squirm uncomfortably in his seat but the small smile playing on his lips was anything but subtle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark starts to feel more on edge after every weird encounter he has with Donghyuck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It starts off with the little things, it always does. The salt in the dorm had slowly started to disappear and by the end of the week, they were completely out of salt. Every time Jeno would run by the store to buy a new bottle, it would be gone by the next day. This one, in particular, got Jaemin extra grumpy,. He enjoys a good amount of salt in his morning eggs</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, when asked no one would admit to it. Who would purposefully hide salt, of all things, as a joke? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently Donghyuck did. And Mark, as always, had been the one to find out. Being assigned to laundry duty that week, he was tasked to rummage through mountains of dirty clothes to bring to the laundromat down the street. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Donghyuck had a late shift at work on that particular day, covering for a sick coworker and hadn’t placed his basket of clothes outside like he was supposed to. Though he’s been a little more secretive than usual, Mark enters his room without hesitance. It’s not like they had anything to hide, Donghyuck trusts him the most. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first thing he notices is the stench. It reeked of mould and damp air. It was dark as ever and the curtains weren’t even pulled up. Donghyuck’s bed, however, was awfully neat, just like the day Mark had made it for him when he was sick. It’s as if he never even slept on it - no creases, no crumpled parts, nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark reaches for the stack of clothes in the basket but startles when he drops them into his own big hamper. There was something falling out of the pockets, something white and fine. He catches a pinch of it in his hand and rubs it between his fingers. Salt. A lot of them. In almost all the pockets of his clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he feels a chill running down his spine, he grabs the last bundle and quickly slips out the bedroom door. He doesn’t mention it to Donghyuck or anyone else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He only notices even more after that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How Donghyuck, instead of going out of his way to rile Chenle up when he’s talking about his paranormal beliefs, would now sit silently - almost in agreement as he listens to all the stories. Mark notices how Donghyuck doesn’t really leave the dorm while the sun is up either, not unless it was something important. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there was one thing in particular that stood out the most. That really drove Mark just a little over the edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Mark wouldn’t say he was much of an animal person. In fact, the responsibility of having a pet strikes unexplainable fear in him. But on the weekends, Jeno would bring over his two cats to the dorm to spend the night and force everyone to coo at them until he retreated back to his own room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark would say he tolerated them. They have a mutual understanding. Mark would give them three belly rubs each and in return they keep Jeno happy for the rest of the weekend by not pissing all over the couch. It was a questionable but strong bond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Donghyuck on the other hand, absolutely adored them and vice versa. Just the ring of his voice would have them curling at his feet, so much so that even Jeno had started getting jealous after the first couple times. Donghyuck even somehow convinced Jeno they had said his name, just to rub salt into the wound. Jeno didn’t leave the dorm for three whole days after that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This week, however, was different. When the mock exams started, Jeno didn’t have the time to bring the cats over for a little cheering up which meant he hasn’t seen his cats for almost two weeks. Two weeks of clingy, whiny Jeno. Jisung, whose room was right beside his, had started sleeping in the living room after “the sobs got too loud”. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So when Jeno burst into the dorm that day, a cat on each hand and dried tears on his face, everyone expected Donghyuck to be the first one to jump across and coo at them. But instead of the familiar purr Mark is used to hearing when Donghyuck was around, there was only a piercing hiss that greets them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, Mark’s instinct was to find for Chenle in the room. He was the only person the cats had disliked more than Mark. But Chenle wasn’t in the room. And the cats were staring directly at Donghyuck, as if they haven’t had the slightest clue as to who he was. They stop hissing the second Donghyuck turns to them with an icy glare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark knew then and there, something was very wrong. Sure, he didn’t have a particular liking towards the cats either - they cost too much money and one even peed on his notes the day before his big exam (he clearly still holds a grudge over them for that). But they have a mutual understanding, after all. Mark trusts them that much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silently, he places his cup of tea in the sink and slips out of the living room as quickly as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There are a thousand thoughts running in his mind all at once. The main one being, who was that sitting on </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> living room couch? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He feels his own pulse picking up. Who could he tell? In any other case, Donghyuck would be the first one Mark would go to. Despite his playful exterior, he was quite wise with his words. Oh, Donghyuck. Mark’s chest aches with guilt. What was he to do? Whoever or </span>
  <em>
    <span>whatever</span>
  </em>
  <span> was out there, wasn’t Donghyuck. He contemplates calling Renjun or texting him but he knows he wouldn’t get a response for another hour until his shift ends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He feels a surge of urgency crawl up his spine. Chenle and Jisung would be the only people to believe him but his are palms are sweaty and he’s too nervous to think of a good excuse for them to come into his room without drawing too much attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His fingers hover over the contacts on his phone. He vaguely remembers that he had saved father Lee’s number a while back. Father Lee was one of the local priests from the church a few blocks away from campus. He had gotten his number through his son, who was Mark’s partner for his end of year project. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hurriedly punches the letters in the search bar of his contacts, eyes lighting up when he finds the number.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s about to press call when a hand squeezes his shoulder and makes him jump in place, almost dropping his phone and cracking it wide open. He expects to see Chenle standing over him but instead meets Donghyuck’s gaze - </span>
  <em>
    <span>no, </span>
  </em>
  <span>not Donghyuck. Those eyes look nothing like his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Donghyuck never holds a gaze unless he needs to, unless he means it. This one in particular has no meaning. Hollow. Almost as if Mark was merely staring at someone who looked awfully similar to Donghyuck but not quite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gulps and plays his part. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s up?” He asks nonchalantly and prides himself on his tone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s something unrecognizable that flickers in the pair eyes before him, something sinister. ‘Donghyuck’ smiles a little too wide with too many teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeno’s calling for you. We’re watching a movie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mark feels his throat drying up as he locks his screen, nodding. He can’t will himself to speak in fear of being exposed. He’s too obvious he thinks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes trail downwards to ‘Donghyuck’’s fingers, seeing the ends of his nails blackened with grime caking under. He looks like he’s aged a thousand years. He didn’t look like this before in the living room. Whatever is inside of Donghyuck wants Mark to see him like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smile on it’s lips sound alarms in Mark’s head. He knows he’s being cornered like some kind of prey. Fresh meat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah um, yeah okay. I’ll be right there.” He croaks out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The being steps closer, a tender grip on Mark’s forearm that sends tremors throughout his whole body. Despite the soft touch, it was incredibly cold. So unfamiliar. Mark sees Donghyuck’s once golden skin start to flake off into something paler, almost as if he’s decaying right before his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time it isn’t Donghyuck’s voice that speaks. It isn’t the usual squeaky tone Mark so longs to hear. This voice is so deep and croaky—not like one he’s ever heard before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t take too long.” It grins, wider than ever before. “This was just getting fun.”  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i’m sorry if that was bad T_T the ending was kinda eh but i’m a little rusty on fic writing</p><p>  <a href="https://curiouscat.me/813na">cc</a><br/><a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/rensfilms">twt</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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